Staff Writer
Namibia imported significant volumes of railway infrastructure materials during the first four months of 2026, with railway rails and other track construction products accounting for the bulk of the value of imports, according to the Namibian Statistics Agency.
Trade data shows that the largest single import was railway rails of iron or steel sourced from China in March 2026, valued at approximately N$225 million and weighing more than 8.3 million kilograms.
China was also the source of railway switch blades, crossing frogs and other railway crossing components imported in March, valued at about N$59.6 million and weighing approximately 1.86 million kilograms.
South Africa remained an important supplier of railway materials throughout the period, exporting railway rails, track construction materials, fish plates, sole plates and other railway components to Namibia in multiple consignments.
Individual shipments ranged from small replacement components to larger consignments worth several million Namibia dollars.
Imports from Germany and Turkey were comparatively limited, consisting mainly of railway rails and other track construction materials.
Separate customs data on goods imported into Namibia by rail transport indicates that relatively few consumer products entered the country by rail during the same period.
Recorded imports included hair preparations and candles through the Noordoewer border post in January, as well as pharmaceutical products processed through Windhoek in April.
The figures highlight that rail-related imports during the first four months of 2026 were largely driven by infrastructure materials required for railway construction and maintenance, with China and South Africa emerging as the principal suppliers.
In the current national budget, the government is expected to spend close to N$1 billion on rail expansion, maintenance and rehabilitation of the national rail network.
These projects include the construction of the Kranzberg-Otjiwarongo railway upgrade.
Other projects include upgrades to the Otjiwarongo-Tsumeb-Otavi-Grootfontein line and the construction of the Ondangwa-Oshakati railway.
The rail service in Namibia is provided by TransNamib. The Namibian rail network consists of 2687 km of tracks.
